Rubber traffic sign



Jum- Q, 1933. 5;. 5 BELLQWE; 1,913,101

RUBBER TRAFFIC SIGN Filed July 24, 193]. 2 $heets-Sheet l v 1 Id I I 3mm QQW W Z I g Earl .SBelZows- June 6, 1933. E ows 1,913,101

RUBBER TRAFFIC SIGN Filed July 24, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 U1 l h gwmntom [c7716 Hallows.

Patented June 6, 1933 earner OFFICE EARL S. BELLOWS, OF PORTLAND, OREGON RUBBER 'rnArrio SIGN Application filed July 24, 1931, Serial No. 552,819.

My invention relates to trafiic control signs and bearing indicia such as Stop, Slow, or

r other words intended to control trailic.

My new sign is a flexible rubber article, the general form of which is well known, and the invention resides in the manner of manufacturing the same and the final result.

The objects of my invention are to produce a sign that is all of one piece of uniform quality of rubber having a high degree of flexibility and without any laminations, inlays or other construction of similar character that will tend to shorten the life of the sign by reason of the extremely severe usage to which such signs are invariably subjected.

Another object of my invention is to construct a sign, the indicating letters of which are provided with sharply defined edges, convex surfaces and deep grooved boundaries so that the letters actually stand out slightly from the background of the sign itself and where they give the optical illusion of standing out, particularly at night, a considerable distance in front of the sign.

These and other objects which will more fully appear from the subjoined specification and claims are accomplished by the structure and methods herein described in such a way that anyone familiar with the rubber manufacturing art will be able to construct my new invention.

Drawings accompany this specification and delineate the means for accomplishing the construction of my new sign containing the advantages enumerated; and also the complete sign.

I am well aware that flexible rubber signs are old and that all of them bear inlaid letters and letters made separately and vulcanized on. They are also made with two pieces of rubber having a fabric between them, the letters being made with beveled edges in an attempt to lock them into the sheet.

With the customary inlaid letter having a fiat surface the indiciaiare difficult to read, particularly in dry weather when dust accumulates 011 the sign. With my new sign having the convex faced letters, raised above the general surface of the sign and with the edges of the letters sharply defined by the grooves, the visibility is apparently as good as if the letters themselves were illuminated.

Thewword rubber in "this specification means any substance having the wellvknown properties of rubber. i

In the drawings,-

Fig. I shows a view of the sign as it will appear to the user of a highway though it is ordinarily made considerably larger than shown in the drawings, it being understood that the indicia, in this caseStop, will be in color sharply contrasting with the color of the background of the sign and it is usual to make the letters of bright yellow or red, yellow having a greater degree of visibility at night and under artificial light such as the light thrown by the head lights of an automobile, the coloring being accomplished in the well-known manner Fig. II is a section atII-II, Fig. I" and shows the raised and convex surface of the letters, it being understood that a characteristic groove such as 5 surrounds all boundaries of each letter. i

Fig. III is a plan view of one-half of the die used inmaking the sign, being that portion of the die for containing the letters the other half of the die being shown in IV at 6, that part showing in Fig. III being indicated by numeral 3 in Fig. IV.

Fig. IV is a section taken at IVIV of Fig. III except that the part indicated by numeral 6 does not show in Fig. III.

To make this sign, crude rubber stock containing the ingredients necessary to produce the colors desired for the letters is. stamped from sheets of such stock which should be of .a thickness somewhat less than is required to completely fill the letter groove, 7 in the die. It will be noted that the letter groove, 7, are cut more deeply in the face of the die than the general surface of the die indicated by numeral 8. It will be also noted that the outline of each letter space in the die is left level with the line on which the two halves of the die separate. These edges should have a face width as indicated at 9 of about one-sixteenth of an inch.

After placing the cut out letters in the die as described, the crude stock, of which the balance of the sign is composed, which may well be stock that will produce a black rubber, is placed over the top of the letters in suflicient quantity to make the balance of the sign, a little excess being desirable, which excess is taken care of by the overflow grooves, 10.

The two halves of the die, 3 and 6, are

then secured together and vulcanized under heat and pressure in the manner well known to the art to produce a highly flexible rubber. After removing from the die, the edges are trimmed and the rubber part of the sign is complete.

They are commonly mounted on a pavement by a cast iron member having a slot to accommodate the rubber portion and the cast iron member is anchored to the pavement in the Well known manner by lagvscrews in anchor shields. v

It has been found by experience that the raised convex surface of the letters, the sharp definition of them when made in the manner indicated, and the groove, 5, which surrounds each letter at all boundaries thereof, makes a sign having a visibility more than twice as good as a sign made in the ordinary way with inlaid letters.

It has also been learned by experience thata sign of this character made all in one piece of a uniform grade of rubber is the only one that will withstand the impact and grinding effect applied to it when struck by a heavy rubber tired vehicle, it being remembered that particularly in the case of a stop sign the striking of the sign nearly always takes place when the brakes are being applied to the vel1icle,,and that if the sign and letters are made separately no method is known for fastening them so securely together that they will not be torn out.

Having thus described my new invention in a way that will permit those familiarwith the art of rubber manufacture to make and use it, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

trasting'colors for the letters with respect to the mounting thereof and made all in one 

